YouTube bans videos that sell guns and accessories

Gun videos may be a thing of the past on YouTube, with the Google-owned company updating its policies on firearms-related content. Videos can no longer sell guns or accessories via direct sales or even have links to sites that sell them. Videos also cannot have instruction on manufacturing firearms or associated items like magazines or silencers.

Accessories banned include bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears and conversion kits, as well as high-capacity magazines. Instruction on upgrading firearms to automatic or simulated automatic firing capabilities is similarly prohibited. This isn't YouTube's first policy update around firearms, either; the company banned gun mod tutorials after the Las Vegas shooting last year.

According to Motherboard, YouTube has already removed some of these types of videos, causing some consternation among popular gun vloggers. "As much as I appreciate that they are now defining their guidelines much more clear...they have imposed this NEW rule without talking to anyone beforehand and there is no transitional period," slingshot vlogger Jörg Sprave told the site. "Many gun channels must now be afraid, as they might get plenty of strikes in no time for older videos and then lose their channels. They should at least get some time to clean up their videos so the new rules are kept. Again, not the way you treat 'partners.'"